The L’Honey Program
Contact Us
Products
Honey - $8.50
12 oz glass hex jar
Blackberry/Honey Jam - $6.00
8 oz
all prices are a suggested donation
St. Leo’s Youth Build Habitat for Honeybees!!!
As we celebrate the Feast of Epiphany, we remember that this is the time to bring forth the good news of Jesus Christ to all nations and all peoples. I say that the call is to bring good new even to ALL OF CREATION. What better way to do this than to build habitat for others like the honeybee! We remember the day Christ was born, he had no home, no place to lay his head.
Habitat and a place to call home is important to all of us! Here at St. Leo’s, we help our brothers and sister with our Social Support Services Program with their needs. So, we do the same for our Sister Honey bee by providing assistance and housing in the form of “The Bee Hive.”
L’Honey: Facing a New Year with the Bees in 2023
2022 had been a hard year for our honeybees. The very wet, cool and cloudy spring mad it difficult for honeybee colonies to grow as they were unable to capture the needed nectar and pollen to feed their young. There were too many cloudy and rainy days and they were not able to leave the hive to forage for food. This left the colonies less prepared to capture the nectar flow and to turn it into honey for the coming winter days ahead. As a beekeeper I had to supplemental feed the bees from the end of August to the middle of October. The Fall of 2022 was the most I had ever had to feed honeybees in my 20 years of beekeeping. Climate Change had brought and unpredictable spring and a very dry and hot summer to our bees.
On top of the difficulties with weather patterns, the continued problem of controlling the Varroa Mite parasite that injures bees continues to be a vexing and difficulty pest to control.
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As we enter into the New Year of 2023 we will continue to expand our work with youth and school groups using our relationship with the honeybees to motivate us all to better care for Creation.
We will work to rebuild our apiaries and recover from the losses of 2022. We will continue to find ways of collaboration and champion Eco-Education with Franklin Pierce School District Farm, Bellarmine Preparatory & Pope John Paul the 2nd STEM Academy. Also, we will continue to find ways to bring to focus the need to Care for Creation with our own parish youth programs.
Our work with the honeybee and youth is our expression of the Apostolic Preference the Society of Jesus to care for Creation here in the Pacific Northwest. By our efforts and the grace of God, we can make a difference in the world. We can foster a new mindset that makes seeing our God Given relationship with Creation as one of interdependence, mutual benefit and love.
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If you have any ideas on how we can do more to help the Planet with our beekeeping program, please let me know! Moreover, I am happy to meet
with any school or community group interested in honeybee or want to be more involved with the Care.
The steps to a healthy planet that has sustains diversity and life!
Engage in sustained and productive work to preserve and/or heal your local ecosystems and the life it contains.
- Create that relationship with the natural world and fall in love with Mother Nature -REAL, NOT VIRTUAL
- Support and vote for ONLY candidates that will place caring for Creation and promoting renewable energy at TOP Priority
- Consume less and live simply
- As much as possible AVOID the use of plastics and call for alternatives
- Be loving and kind to all living creatures and give all glory to God.
Volunteer Opportunities
L’Honey is looking for volunteers interested in sustainability and bees:
- Visits to our bee yard to learn about the bees and help assist in their care
- Hive maintenance
- Candle, soap and hand balm making
- Host an educational opportunity and schools and other civic institutions
- Promote product sales
- Help with educational presentations
Bee Healthy Garden Initiative continues in 2023!!!
As we did last year, we are encouraging gardening at you home, school and community. Gardening and caring for living things is the best way to form relationships with the natural world and to foster love and compassion for Creation. We are tasks to Till and to Keep Creation (Gen:2-15). Our purpose in Creation is to Love each other, care for Creation and to give all glory to God alone.
Let’s take proactive steps to rediscover our right relationship with the natural world. One simple start to this could be gardening!!!!
If you want to start a garden or enhance your current endeavors, consider getting seed and plants from the St. Leo Bee-Healthy Initiative.
Here is how:
- Browse through the Territorial Seed Company catalogue and identify the seeds you would like – (https://territorialseed.com/pages/catalog-digital-edition)
- Note the name, item # and quantity of your seed
- Contact Rick Samyn at: larchelhoneybeekeeping@gmail.com and relay seed information, your name, contact info and address to Rick
- Rick will order your seeds and get them to you
- Also, we will have after mass plant giveaways this spring at both Sacred Heart and St. Leo’s. Dates: Sundays – April 24th, May 8th May 22nd, May 29th, June 12th & June 26th.
- Get outside, plant, garden & fall in love with Creation. Our future depends on it!!!
If you have any questions, please contact Rick Samyn at: (253) 229-4114 or larchelhoneybeekeeping@gmail.com
Rick: 253 229-4114 or larchelhoneybeekeeping@gmail.com
Educational Partnerships
The L’Honey Beekeeper works with educators and student groups in the promotion of sustainable beekeeping and caring for our environment. For more information on the L’Honey Program please contact Rick Samyn at 253.229-4114 or larchelhoneybeekeeping@gmail.com